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Earthquakes: Preseason and awarding Goals for Education funds
By Ivan Makarov December 26, 2011 |
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SAN JOSE, Calif. - Its that time of the year that MLS players and coaches are starting to get ready for the upcoming season. With less than three months remaining until the First Kick, San Jose Earthquakes recently announced its preseason plans. The Earthquakes will report to camp on January 15 for team physicals and will then spend the next two weeks training in San Jose. The team will then travel to six-day training camp in Tucson, Arizona before returning to San Jose. On February 15, the team will begin its next training camp away from home in Ventura, California, where they will spend nine days. The game dates for the trips to Arizona and Southern California will be announced at a later date. The final segment of preseason training for the club includes a trip to Portland, Oregon, where San Jose Earthquakes will face the hosting team Portland Timbers, Chivas USA and the Swedish powerhouse AIK Fotboll. Just like Major League Soccer, Swedish top soccer league is played between spring and fall, and AIK Fotball will also be in the middle of its preseason training. The winner of 11 league championships, AIK has recently competed in major European tournaments, most recently playing in the 2010-11 UEFA Champions League. The Swedish club finished the last season as a runner-up to Heslingborg in the Swedish top division Allsvenskan, and qualified for 2012-13 Europa League. Following the tournament in Portland, San Jose Earthquakes will finish its preseason in the Bay Area with MLS First Kick slated for March 10 at Buck Shaw Stadium. Full regular season schedule will be released by MLS in the coming weeks. Portland Preseason Tournament Schedule Monday, Feb. 27 San Jose vs Portland 7:30pm Tuesday, March 1 AIK vs San Jose 5pm Sunday, March 4 San Jose vs Chivas USA 2:30pm ****As part of the 2011 Goals for Education program, San Jose Earthquakes teamed up with Wells Fargo and selected 16 youth athletic programs from around the Bay Area which will receive funds from the program. Wells Fargo joined the sponsorship of the program by donating $250 for each of the 40 goals the San Jose Earthquakes scored in 2011, raising $10,000 for the first year of the program. Earthquakes players will attend ceremonies and presents checks to Castro Valley Soccer Club and America SCORES-Bret Harte Elementary in San Francisco. Funds from the program will be used to improve the facilities and programs at recipient schools school, such as replacing vandalized goalposts in Castro Valley Soccer Club for the benefit of 600 kids playing the game at the club. Other schools receiving funds include Irvington High School (Fremont), America SCORES-Longfellow Elementary (San Francisco), Rocketship Discovery Prep (San Jose), Santa Teresa Elementary (San Jose), Santa Cruz County FC Revolution (Santa Cruz), Aztecas Soccer Program (Watsonville), Winchester Soccer (San Jose), John Sinnot Elementary (Milpitas), Washington Open (Santa Clara), Golden State Futsal (Alum Rock), Sunnyvale Middle School (Sunnyvale), Metro Pal (San Jose), City Year (San Jose) and St. Francis of Assisi School (Concord). |
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